Nom Nom Paleo did a cooking demo of her incredibly, lusciously delicious Slow Cooker Kalua Pig at our paleo throwdown in Estes Park, Colorado — and her 3-ingredient recipe inspired me to think about how I could adapt her technique to some other flavors.

I’m pushing the boundaries of using my slow cooker as a roasting vessel. I have a passionate dislike for stew and soups made in the slow cooker — they just don’t caramelize enough for me, and I feel like they’re always too watery — but I’m loving my slow cooker as a countertop oven.

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Dave just acquired a new camera, and he’s snapping pics all over the place so he can deepen his relationship with it before we start official photography for Well Fed 2: More Paleo Recipes For People Who Love To Eat… which is why we have along-the-way photos in this post, in addition to the finished, tender, shiny, scrumptious pork.

Slow-Cooker Italian Pork Roast

I started with a 7-pound pork shoulder roast. Mine had a bone, but boneless will work, too.

Then I picked out some nice chubby garlic cloves and cut them into slivers…

I mixed Penzeys Italian Herb Mix with salt…

Stuck the garlic slivers into my piggy friend…

Then gave him a salt+herb massage. People pay big bucks for that kind of loving rub-down!

Directions:

Pat the pork roast dry with paper towels. Use a small sharp knife to make slits all over the pork, then insert the garlic slivers into the slits.

2

In a small bowl, mix the salt and dried herbs, using your fingers to crush the leaves and mix them with the salt. Rub the mixture all over the pork roast, working into the nooks and crannies.

3

Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and cook on low for 14 to 16 hours. As the pork roasts, the pan of the slow cooker will fill with liquid. You have two choices: (1) let it go and pour off the liquid when the meat is finished cooking; or (2) halfway through cooking, remove the lid and carefully pour off the liquid. Put the lid back on the pork and let it continue roasting; refrigerate the liquid in a glass bowl/jar or BPA-free container so the grease can separate from the luscious juice. I like to pour off the liquid so the outside of the roast gets crispier.

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When the meat is finished roasting, it’s fall-apart tender. You can either shred it with forks, mixing the crusty bits with the interior, tender bits—or break it into serving-size hunks. It’s crazy-good either way. Remember the juice you put in the fridge? Now you can easily skim off the excess fat, re-heat the juice in a pan on the stove, and use it as a sauce for the cooked meat.

Comments

That looks delicious! Unfortunately, I don’t eat pork. What cuts of beef do you think might work with this? I also hate crockpot anything, for the same reasons you mentioned above, so I’m eager to try this!

I made it with a grass-fed beef chuck roast, and it was really tasty. Basically, any roast cut will work, I think. The low, slow heat is pretty forgiving. I’ve also used this technique on stew meat, and it worked well.

My mom always browned the outside of a roast in a pan before cooking. I am trying this tonight for tomorrow and will follow the recipe exactly bc it’s the first time I’m making it, but if I were more adventurous I would brown it first… I don’t want to screw up 7 lbs of meat! Lol.

You can brown it first, if you’d like… I skipped that step because when I made mine, it got nice and brown on the outside in the slow cooker, without needing to add that extra step. BUT… if you want to be guaranteed a brown crust on the outside, you can brown it on the stove, then transfer to the slow cooker.

this is the maillard reaction. It will occur when meat gets up around 300 degrees whether done in a pan through direct application of heat while “browning” or it will also happen in an oven or slow cooker as long as the meat isn’t submerged in some kind of liquid (has to remain dry, so if you really want that to happen then follow her instructions about removing the liquid halfway through so you get more maillard bits). So basically she is browning it in the slow cooker. It all tastes the same–mmmmmmm Maillard tasty!

Yeah about any kind of beef tastes good like that beef clods work well as with briskets.
The pork roast I made it for people in family they went crazy for it great recipe.
We do our own spices can’t buy em premade and like it myself.
Was good recipe we also did it with a few variations and maybe got juicier adding a beer for liquid kind of infused it better or made flavor better.
Thanks for the tips on roast always looking for something different with Bbq cooking team also. We will try it on Bbq smoker this weekend and see how it turns out with smoke. Thanks again

I live in Louisiana – where can I find Penzey’s spices? Do they sell it in major grocery chains or should i search for it on-line? If I wanted to maybe make this today (because it looks so delicious) what could i use as a substitution?

Hey Mel were cooking one now in pressure cooker to see how it turns out.
We added darker beer to try and enhance flavor more seems to make tasty better even. Just an idea like the lady above I don’t eat pork myself.
Everyone else in family eats it but me and we’re going to try it on brisket and shoulder clods this weekend see how it goes. Smoke one maybe or split it and roast and smoke both ways.
The spice flavor profile was excellent on pork they said.
I can’t wait to try it on beef now can’t make too much difference if meat cooked correctly. Thanks again

This looks yummy!! Do you think this could work with beef? For a Italian Beef recipe? If so, what cut of beef? If not, do you have an Italian beef crockpot recipe? Hubby has been craving Italian beef so I need to find a yummy and (possibly) whole 30 approved recipe 🙂

I made it with a grass-fed beef chuck roast, and it was really tasty. Basically, any roast cut will work, I think. The low, slow heat is pretty forgiving. I’ve also used this technique on stew meat, and it worked well.

Thanks! Would you put any peppers in? Also, I have been meaning to ask you, what are must have blends that you would recommend ordering from Penzeys? I have been wanting to place and order but just not sure what to get! I know the Itallian seasoning will be on the list for this recipe :).

Thanks loads for sharing this recipe. I just tried it (started cooking late last night so that it was ready when I got home from work tonight) and I am so stuffed right now but can’t keep from going back for another bite. In response to the veggies not working, I modified your recipe a little and I can attest they work great but just need to add some at the beginning for flavor (like onions, tomatoes, and carrots) and then the ones that you want to still have bite (like peppers and mushrooms) be added at the end so that they aren’t mush. I added 1/2″ sliced sweet onions to the bottom of the slow cooker and then packed in roma tomatoes, cut into quarters all around the sides of the roast. Otherwise I did everything else you said, including draining the liquid in the morning before I left for work. When I got home, I took out the roast and set it aside covered with foil in a roasting pan and then added back in the pork jello that was created from the liquid I removed this morning in the fridge and also added:
2 cans tomato paste
another sweet onion (diced this time)
2 green peppers (diced)
another tablespoon of italian seasoning
a teaspoon of garlic powder (I was thining about doing minced fresh garlic, but got lazy)
I was going to add some mushrooms, too, but forgot to grab them at the store, will try it next time. With the meat resting off to the side, added all of the above back in with the remaining juices and cooked tomatoes and onions (both so soft they essentially dissolved in with the tomato paste and juices once agitated). Kicked it up to high and took the dog for a walk. An hour later and I had an awesome tomato sauce. I decided to shred the pork and put most of it back in (what didn’t immediately go in my belly–those awesome edge pieces with the maillard reaction are just too tasty to pass up!) I think next time, I will not add it back and just put the sauce on so that it will reheat/freeze better. I might also add in some freshly diced tomatoes at the end as well and maybe a shredded carrot at the beginning for a little extra added sweetness–if you partake in processed sugars, you could just add a tablespoon of sugar or honey at the end to help cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I used it on spaghetti squash since I stay away from processed foods and this has to be my new most favorite crock pot recipe.

The biggest thing I have to thank-you for was for opening my eyes about “dry” slow cooking. I have done it before with chicken as the recipe dictated and it turned out dry and bland, but with pork its a whole different story. I might have to try it out with a different cut as you suggest above–like RIBS!!!

This looks SO GOOD. I’ve never seen anything that crispy looking come out of a slow cooker! I’m definitely going to try the longer cooking time, and pouring off the liquid. Mmm, I can taste it already…

This is so perfect! I’ve had a huge (just under 8 lb) pastured pork roast in my freezer forever because I didn’t know what to do with a bone-in roast that big. Now I know! I’ll be making your recipe this weekend. Thanks!

I’m thinking of trying this with a pork tenderloin that’s sitting in my freezer and just monitoring the cooking time so I don’t end up with cinders. Sounds delish! Glad to hear about the new book but here’s a suggestion for the publishers– spiral-bound. I use mine so much it is literally falling apart– they just don’t bind books like they used to. I’m going to take all the pages out and put them in plastic sleeves in a binder, then I can integrate my new Mel recipes with them.Thanks for the post!

Also: pork tenderloin is VERY lean. You might want to sear it first in a cast iron skillet, then finish it in the crockpot and definitely don’t leave it in there too long, or it will get dry. And you might want to add some chicken broth to the crockpot. The technique described above will NOT work for a lean cut like tenderloin.

Ditch those crockpots…. I ruined several wonderful meals because of that exasperating built-in timer.
After buying 2 new ones, trying them and donating to Goodwill, I finally found one at the grocery store, simple, plain, like the one I had for a decade. The brand, Hamilton Beach.
The others had automatic shut-off or leaky, spewing lids.

Do you think this kimd of liquid-less roasting in the slow cooker would work with beef cheeks? I’ve been thinking of doing a teriyaki beef cheeks type of this but didn’t want it to be liquidy like all the other beek cheek stews I’ve made. Thought this might be a good way.

I ended up doing this with beef cheeks. Tasted nothing like Teriyaki but was AMAAAZZZINNGG (just added some coconut aminos n stuff like that). This technique produced the much desired exterior blackening of the cheeks.

Melissa,
Please please please add a Pinterest button to your posts! I’m making a board of slow cooker and freezer Paleo meals. :)And I want to click a little P so that this one will go on that board.
Muchas Gracias,
Erin

I just have to say; How. Delicious. Is. This? Got up at 6am on a Sunday morning to prep it and it was soooooo worth the early start.
Round 1 was last night’s supper nom nom nom
Currently making it through round two in a salad at my desk.
So simple. SO GOOD. Thank you Mel – you’re awesome 🙂

I am NOT a pork eater at all, made this for my husband Sunday, it was sooooo DELISH !!!!! I used the reserve liquid to make a gravy added it to a rue. Put ANY preconceived thoughts of crockpot and pork out of your mind, TRUST ME YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!!!

This is so tasty, but it was a bit stinky overnight as a slow roasting piggy in the kitchen infused the sleeping household with piggy smells! Put it on at 10 p.m., drained liquid @ 6 a.m., let it finish cooking till noon. Very easy…except for the tricky part of trying to figure out how to pour off the liquid.
Mel, can you give us some more “crock pot as a roaster” recipes? I love this idea! And thank you for YOU. This week my house has Choc Chili, your lemon AWESOME mayo, and zuccini noodles. How did I live without these things before I “met” you? XOXO 🙂

I get what you’re saying about the reasons for not liking slow cooking…but I’m in grad school, and the fact that I can get stews/soups/pulled meat with almost no time or effort is so worth the compromise. I would KILL for a Well Fed Slow Cooking edition!

We’ve done this a few times now. The second time my GF picked up some pork loin. Figuring it was worth a try, we did it the same way, and again removed the liquids at halfway. It was OK (not great) the first night, but the leftovers were dry, dry, dry.

The one we just did was more of a BBQ flavor to it and was excellent. (added in some sauce with sauteed onions, worcester, apple vinegar, chili powder, and yes, a bit of brown sugar)

I just got a giant enamel covered cast iron covered casserole for Christmas. Would this recipe work in this in the oven on a lower temp? I’ve not cooked with this type of dish before, so don’t know about the no liquid thing. If so, what temp would you recommend? Thanks!

That should work just fine. For this size pork roast, roast it at 425 for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 and roast an additional 2-3 hours. If you have a roasting rack, you might want to put that in the roasting pan under the meat. I would also keep the meat covered for the first few hours, then remove the lid to let the meat brown during the last hour of cooking. Then let it rest for 30 minutes after you take it out of the oven.

Great, and I’ll make it again, though I’ll cut the salt in half. I poured off the liquid halfway through and refrigerated it. Took off the coagulated fat and reduced the liquid, but it (the “gravy”) was way too salty. The pork was not – it was great.

Hi Mel,
When I made this the juices went into a jelly form after it cooled in the fridge. Is this normal? I did scrape the fat off the top but thought the juice would still be liquid. I’m thinking that this is okay but thought I would ask.
Michelle

Great, thanks Mel. My experience with cooking meat in the past has been limited to grilling or roasting (and not the slow roasting kind) so I wasn’t sure. I have tucked into it jelly and all and it is AMAZING 🙂

Hi, this recipe looks like it’s right up my alley with the slow cooker. It’s just my husband and I at home now, so I’m wondering how much your 7# roast cooked down…like approx how many 3-4 oz servings should i expect to get? I’ve made pot roasts in the slow cooker before and from a 2# roast end up with only about 4 total servings.

I just cooked your fab roast recipe this past weekend because I was mesmerized by the dark color of the crust in your photo. Everything about the roast turned out great with the exception of that beautiful dark color. It ended up being 20 hours because it was on warm. How did you achieve it, inquiring minds want to know?

I’m not sure… I made it exactly as listed above, including the step where I poured off the liquid. I have a new, pretty powerful slow cooker, so maybe it’s very hot (?). Sorry I can’t be more helpful! I’m making this again today, so I’ll let you know if I do anything differently and how the coloring turns out.

That does make a lot of sense as far as the powerful slow cooker. Mine is a Target special but I must say your recipe still makes a mean roast! I had to freeze the leftover even with 5 people eating it! Maybe a smaller roast with the same cooking time will make the difference. Thank u!

Ok slight problem. I wanted to try out my new pressure cooker and cooked it on high for 45 mins. And it’s kinda dry :/ anything I could do to salvage the leftovers? Put what I have left in my crock pot?

I went for it before I got your response and it turned out amazing! I wish I would have made a larger roast! Mine was only 2lbs and my boyfriend ate the majority of it! I did add a little bit of low sodium chicken broth, but next time Ill go without! Thanks for this wonderful and simple recipe!

I made this with a 2 1\2lb chuck roast, cooked it for 7 hours, and it was amazing and wonderfully browned! I added the juices to reduced beef stock for some au jus and also made some caramelized onions. This is my new favorite way to make a roast. I used a turkey baster to drain off the juices and it worked out really well.

AHHHHMAZING – I used my fingers to “shred it” and licked them clean when I was done – I’ve never done a pork roast like this and it rivals the best pulled pork I’ve ever had. Hubby adds BBQ sauce to his portion and serves it up on a bun (No he’s not paleo or Whoe 30) and couldn’t stop raving! MANY thanks – next time going to try it with a chuck roast.

SO I just bought a pork shoulder and am about to put this sucker in the crock-pot! one question though- the roast I got has a the skin and fat still attached. I am going to remove the fat, according to another recipe I just looked up. Do you remove the skin and fat when you make it?

I made this tonight and it is sooooo tasty. My roast was just over two lbs and I cooked it for about 9 hours. Mine did not have a fat cap on it but it did produce a good amount of juice, though it did not get crispy at all. Perhaps if I had left it a bit longer.

Hi Mel,
After reading your blog, I’ve made a snap decision and we’re all going to go paleo! This recipe looks delicious but I don’t have a slow cooker I actually don’t like because like you I find everything comes out mushy and watery. Could I cook this in a low temp oven for about 5hours do you think?

You can use the herbs on chicken, but I don’t recommend cooking it in the slow cooker. The chicken will get too dry. Instead, rub the herbs on the chicken, cover with foil, and bake 25-30 minutes at 400F until it’s cooked through.

Glad you liked it! Some ideas… toss cubes into an omelet or scramble… make hash with cubed sweet potatoes, scallions, and leftover pork… shred it and serve in lettuce cups with diced tomato and a drizzle of olive oil… put on top of a salad of diced hearts of palm, red bell peppers, red onion, and mushrooms.

I made this recipe with a bit of a struggle and wondered if you could help me figure out why. I used an 8.3 lb pork shoulder (I have a huge slow cooker) and despite draining the juice after 8 hours, when I got home from work it had quite a bit more juice in it. I drained that and let it cook another hour (total, about 17.5 hrs). The meat came out delicious, but I really wanted more of that crispy exterior you wrote about. It was crispy only on some very top pieces. Do you think I should cut off some fat to help it get there? Thank you!

When I make it, the bottom doesn’t always get crispy — it really depends on the amount of juice it releases, etc. BUT, after it’s cooked, you can quickly plunk it under the broiler and brown it on all sides. That should only take 10-15 minutes.

I’m going to try this in my smoker same as I cook pulled pork. I take it to about 110°-115° internal temp. then pull it out and wrap it in heavy duty foil. It goes back in and stays until it reaches 195°-200° internal temp. I save all the juices that collect in the foil and mix them in after I pull the meat. Bet it’s most fine. We’ll see.

I made this yesterday and it is delish! I used a 5lb pork butt and tripled the dried herbs using the basil, oregano, rosemary alternative to the Penzey herb mix. I served it with the defatted au jus which made the meat so moist. It’s a keeper!

Mel, This is so good that we served it to family at Christmas! only change w made is to double the garlic and the dry rub, and let it “marinate for several hours beforehand in the refrigerator. this is truly one of your BEST!

Melissa, I’m eating the leftovers of this for lunch today, and they taste better than they did last night. What an awesome and simple recipe! I just started my second Whole30 (took a day off in between) and it’s recipes like this that make this lifestyle so easy and enjoyable for a working mom like me. I served my pork over a bed of sauteed savoy cabbage but hubby, who is not eating paleo, had his on a bun with melted provolone. Thanks for an awesome recipe!

A few options:
– omit the garlic
– use the cloves as described but remove them when the meat is done cooking
– replace the fresh cloves with garlic powder — about 1/2 teaspoon should do it. Just mix it with the herbs.

Rather than trying to make this recipe work with poultry, you’d be better off starting with a recipe designed from the beginning for poultry. You might try this one – http://cookeatpaleo.com/crock-pot-whole-chicken/ – and replace the 1 tablespoon herbes de provence with 1 tablespoon of an Italian herb blend — or make your own with equal amounts of oregano, basil, and rosemary.

I’ve made this a few times now, it’s always great! I’ve put bbq mixture in a few times too. I do have a question about how long this can be kept on the warm setting after the 16 hrs on low? It will be in 16hrs at 2pm, at which time I’ll pull it apart and plan to leave in the croc pot for another 2-4 hours on warm. Low keeps it at a boil, the warm setting still keeps it hot.

Ok, so this is the second recipe I made, using the Week 1 cookup plan. WOW, while mine did not brown much (I was sleeping at the halfway point), I found it kind of browned a little once I drained it and took it off the heat. I am going to shred it now, but took a bite first.

THIS IS PURE HEAVEN… love it.

Thanks so much. I also made the Chocolate Chili, also very yummy. No disappointments yet!!!!!!

Hi there! This recipe looked so good, so I tried it last week. Unfortunately, my meat became so immensely dry that we couldn’t even eat it! I followed the recipe exactly, do you have any clues as to why my meat didn’t work?

Without being in the kitchen with you while you’re cooking, there’s no way for me to know what might the issue was. Did you use a pork shoulder? If you substituted another cut of pork, that could be the issue. The recipe needs shoulder because it’s fatty enough to stand up to the long cooking time.

I just bought a 7 lb pork shoulder bone in and want to try this. But it looks huge and I’m not sure if my crock pot is big enough. What size is yours? Mine also only goes low 10 hours. Should I just reset it for an additional six when it goes off? Thanks so much I’m on day 2 of the whole 30 and love your site!

Mel! oh my goodness! I made this for tonight’s supper. It was SOOO GOOOOD!!! I kept thinking, “Really? SIXTEEN hours???” But, yep, it was just to die for. I have never had a pork roast with so much flavor. Tremendous. THANK YOU!

I made this recipe this week and absolutely loved it. 5lb roast, put it in at 1pm, finished at 5am, when I get up for work…. it was a joy to wake up to the smell of a finished roast! Now, I want to make it this weekend for my friends – and because I don’t have the time to let it cook for 16 hours, I wanted to do it in my Instant Pot pressure cooker. I understand from your post that you came up with this recipe based off of Nom Nom Paleo’s Kalua Pig recipe. On her Kalua Pig page, she links to a tweaked recipe for Pressure cooking it… do you think these tweaks will also work for this recipe in a pressure cooker? http://nomnompaleo.com/post/111934821818/pressure-cooker-kalua-pig

Made this a few days ago and LOVE it. My question is about the juices – what should I do with them? I have a good 3-4 cups (I skimmed off the fat and threw it out, now I’m wishing I had kept some after reading all the comments!). Should I add it to broth if I’m making bone broth? Other ideas, besides pouring it back over the pork?

You have a few options: you can use the drippings as broth to make soup (add zucchini noodles and shredded pork… yum!), or simmer it to make it a little thicker and pour over the pork. Yes, you can add it to bone broth that you’re making for more depth of flavor. You could also use it in mashed cauliflower in place of coconut milk to add flavor and smoothness.

Wow. Just Wow. I can’t believe something so simple can taste so heavenly! This recipe is such a winner in my book. As a busy working mom, it has been hard to find meals that don’t require much time in the kitchen. This was laughably easy. I have to admit, I was skeptical, and worried that it would be dry/bland. Not the case at all. Purchased a 3.5 lb roast, followed your directions (took less then 10 min), cooked it overnight, and this a.m. winner, winner PORK dinner! The best part is that this fits easily into my AIP recipes, and the boys BOTH love it. My five year old was asking for seconds, for breakfast! THANK YOU Melissa! Looking forward to exploring more of your site and continuing my whole 30 journey to health!

Mel, thank you for another perfect recipe! I put a 3.5lb pork roast in at midnight, and woke up at 9am to fall-apart roast with a “roasted” top. Never have I put meat in a slow cooker without liquid but it worked perfectly and created so much liquid on it’s own (and the house didn’t burn down, bonus…). I have poured off the liquid as you suggested and am letting it go awhile longer, despite wanting to eat it all right now. I use my Instant Pot pressure cooker for fall apart meats in a short time, but I liked the idea of your roast with the crispy outside. Cooking it overnight in the slow cooker will now be my go-to roast technique. Thank you! 🙂

Made this a couple months ago and LOVED it! Just got the Instant Pot and was wondering if anyone tried this recipe using a pressure cooker. I believe it was be a 90 mins cook time , but I need to look into that

Preheat the oven to 425F. Rub the pork with the spices, set the meat on a rack set into a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the shoulder reads 185 degrees F, about 4-ish hours. Remove the pork from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.

My family made this recipe for the first time yesterday. We cooked about a 4 lb pork roast in a crock pot for 12 hours. The meat fell apart, and it was wonderful. I had leftovers for lunch today. I’m new to all of this, so I will need to get better with what is paleo and what isn’t. It’s only the 3 of us, so some of the recipes I found they want you to prep/cook for a lot of people. Thanks for the recipe.

Thank you so much for your recipes. I am getting ready to try this this weekend, but I want to serve it Italian Beef style but with a 7# pork butt. Does one make an Au Jus out of these drippings or should I use a store-bought style. The bad thing about those is the amount of sodium that is in packaged items. I also use Kosher salt, would this make a slight difference in anything. Thank you in advance, and also my appreciation for you website!!

So I bought a pork shoulder cut (organic) but it is only 1.62 lbs, which is perfect for the two of us, but way smaller than any recipes I’ve found. Yours sounds great but I’m beyond sure the amount of garlic and Italian seasonings will be overpowering. Suggested amounts?

Thank you so much for your recipes. I am getting ready to try this this weekend, but I want to serve it Italian Beef sandwich style but with a 7# pork butt. Does one make an Au Jus out of these drippings or should I use a store-bought style. The bad thing about those is the amount of sodium that is in packaged items. I also use Kosher salt, would this make a slight difference in anything. Thank you in advance, and also my appreciation for you website!!

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